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F. H. GRANZ. I NARRUWI NG APPARATUS FOR KNITTING" MACHINES. NO. 575.395.

PatentedJaJn. 19, 1897.

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NARROWING APPARATUS'FOR KNITTING MACHINE-8..

No. 575,395. Patented Jan. 19, 1897.

(No Model.) V a Shets-Sheet 3. P". H. GRANZ.

NARROWING APPARATUS FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

'No. 575,395. Patented Janfl 1897.

UNITED TATE FRIEDRICH I-IERMANN GRANZ, OF OI-IEMNITZ, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR FRIEDRICH RABE, OF SAME PLACE.

PATENT OFFICE.

NARROWING APPARATUS FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 575,395, dated January 19, 1897'. Application filed August 5,1896. Serial No. 601,764. (No model.) Patented in Germany Eeptember 9, 1895, No. 87,818.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH HERMANN' GRANZ, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Chemnitz, Saxony, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Narrowing Apparatus for Knitting Machines, (patented in Germany September 9, 1895, No. 87,818,) of which the following is a specification.

The present application relates to means for operating the needles of a latch-needle machine in narrowing, the said narrowing going on simultaneously with the formation of stitches.

In the constructions ordinarily used the parts of the machine which serve to displace the needles during the operation of narrowing have to be lifted above the heels of the needles in order to be out of the way of the knitting-cams. These parts of the machine form two bands, held mutually immovable, between the inner parallel edges of which the heels of the needles are caught and then displaced.

The independently-movable latch-needles of the knitting-machines do not always maintain the same elevation, and when the bands are lifted it happens that the latter touch the heels of the needles, or if aneedleis impeded in its motion by an accumulation of fibers or by bent nibs in the needle-bed the band as cends the heel of the needle and slips over it without having completely displaced the needle. These defects are avoided by the following arrangements.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section of the needle-bed with parts in elevation. Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine, and Figs. 3 to 8 are detail views.

A plate et, Figs. 1 and 2, is held by an arm f, which can be moved laterally on the rod g. The whole device lies so close under the thread-feeding rail m that it cannot ascend above the heels of the needles, so that it is bound to touch the heels of the needles when advanced inwardly.

The plate a has at the top a broad edge Z2, Fig. 8, for the purpose of moving inward just as many latch-needles as there are transferring-hooks used for narrowing. (In Figs. 3 to 6 and 8, three needles.) By this edge I) the scissors-shaped part c, which turns about the screw 0 on the plate a, retracts the needles during the transferring action. For engaging the needle-heels the part c is brought into the dotted position, Fig. 3, this movement being produced by the two bolts 1111', which are screwed to the screw-nut f, Fig. 1. The bolts i t" produce a rotation of the pivoted plate 0 by the boltt' working in the speciallyshaped slit 0 while the bolt t" performs the same functions on the outer edge of the lower scissors part. hen the plate arises, the upper edge of the pivoted plate 0, moving laterally, grasps the heels of the needles firmly and completely, even if these be standing at dilferent heights, for the reason that this edge is at first inclined, as in Fig. 3, and then moves into horizontal position, as in Fig. 4..

For narrowing it is necessary that the needle to which the loop is transferred have the latch open. For this purpose there is a projection d, as shown in Figs. 3, 4:, 6, and 8, which lies so low that the mesh of the fabric which is pushed upward remains upon the open tongue, and the needle is ready to receive the transferred loop.

The operation is as follows: In rising the straight edge I), Fig. 3, touches the heels of the needles and pushes these along till the loops are behind the tongues. When during this rise of the needle operating device the straight edge I) has reached the heels of the needles and hasbrought them into similar position, then upon the further rise the pivoted plane 0, Fig. 4:, comes into operation by its pecular slot-guide 0 into which the bolts it" enter from the screw-nut. This plate now moves laterally inward and describes the arc of a circle, so that the heels of the needles are firmly caught for the purpose of drawing them back. hen the latch-needles have been completely pushed forward and the loops are behind the latches, the operating device goes back again, and then the pivoted plate brings the needle down again. Then the needles are drawn back, the covering-points K, Fig. 6, descendand cover them, so that they arrive in the position shown in Fig. 5 by following the needles, but without pushing them.

Then the latches of the needles close, and the meshes slip over the same. The needle upon which the neighboring loop is to be transferred has been opened by the projection (Z of the needle apparatus. The needles are held in this position, Fig. 5, while the covering-points move still lower down in order to bring the meshes onto the needle again. The needle-operating device also pushes the needles again upward, and this with greater rapidity, in order to obtain the whole length of the eye of the needles for the easy unhooking of the covering-point K, Fig. 7. The covering point or hook goes back to its resting position. The needle-operatin g device also moves downward,thus retracting the needies caught thereby from the position of Fig. at to that of Fig. 6, this being the normal position of the needles to hold the loops. The needle-operating device, however, does not stop in its downward movement, but moves farther, but at the same time it swings outward,le'avi1ig all the needles which have been retracted by it excepting the needle 91, which is caught thereby, and as this needle has been rendered empty by the transfer of its stitch this needle is drawn back out of the line of feed of yarn to thus be inactive.

I claim 1. A needle-operating device for narrowing machines comprising a plate a adapted to push the needles forward and a second plate moving therewith and also movable laterally in relation thereto to'engage the heels of the needles, substantially as described.

Aneedle-operating device for narrowingmachines, comprising a pushing-plate and a retracting-plate, said retracting-plate reachin g over the needles to engage the heels, substantially as described.

3. A needle-operating device for narrowingmachines, comprising the plate a having the edge I) to engage the needles and the notch or projection d adapted to let the latch of one needle remain open and the retracting-plate c pivoted to the plate a, movable therewith and means for swinging the plate 0 in relation to the needles and to the plate a, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

FRIEDRICH HERMAN) Grim. lVitnesses CESAR WINKELMANN, CARL HOLBERG. 

